White Day
by vampire cuttlefish
Summary: COMPLETED! Basically, Yoh is getting sick and has a shaman fight coming up. Can he win for Anna? Can he even make it there? YohXAnna(sorry for the bad summary. Also this is my first Shaman King fic so please be gentle with your reviews)
1. Running

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: Shaman King is not mine to own...wahhh...  
  
Author's note: Please enjoy this simple fic. I don't know all the details of what happens later in Shaman King...so I'll just work with what I know. So the shaman fights take place in just random places and the fighters fight until all of one person's mana is used up...review me if I'm wrong and spell it out for me. (Baka tanuki) I won't write very long on this one until I find more info on the shaman fight. Please be gentle...(first shaman king fiction) Sorry for the corny title...My imagination died on me...  
  
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The night pierced the air, making the oxygen crisp and fresh. The sky was dark but street lamps dotted the pavement, shining light so that everything was illuminated. Despite the chilly weather, two people (a guy with spiked hair and several tattoos and a girl in a tight skirt) stood next to a solitary streetlight, exchanging saliva.  
  
"I love you..." the boy moaned between kisses.  
  
"Baby..." sighed the girl as she wrapped her arms around the boy's neck.  
  
The soft sighing and the gentle silence around the two figures was broken by the sound of heavy breathing. The couple looked towards the direction the sound was coming from. A figure of a boy was running towards them. As he ran into the radius of light produced by a streetlight, the couple could, for a split second, see what the boy looked like. He was about the age of an average 9th grader, toned with muscles but rather thin. His dark brown hair bounced as the chill wind swept through it, held back by a set of headphones. His mouth opened as he breathed heavily. As he passed the couple, the boy's eyes followed them. The light shimmered off his pupils, giving his brown eyes a lazy look. As he continued to run on, the light ricocheted off his black running clothes. When the couple couldn't see the boy anymore, they turned their focus back to each other.  
  
"Why is a kid running at this hour of night?" the boy thought allowed. His girlfriend answered him with a kiss and the two people continued with their kissing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As the boy continued running, his breathing became more ragged and sweat drenched the collar of his running clothes. Finally, unable to go on, the boy collapsed on a nearby bench. Mist floated from his gaping mouth as he gratefully gulped down sweet air.  
  
"K'S0...Anna-chan's gonna be mad... I shouldn't have stopped," the boy sighed. Out of the night air, a figure of a samurai came into focus, hovering above the ground just a little bit. His hair wasn't affected by the wind sweeping by. His battle armor was transparent along with his body, notifying anyone with sixth sense that he was a ghost.  
  
"Yoh-sama...I think Anna-sama will understand. You've been running constantly since after lunch. I think you're in shape for the last of the shaman tournament battles."  
  
"You're just saying that, Amidamaru..." the boy named Yoh murmured, "I need all the strength and training I can get so I can win this tournament." Yoh turned his head away from the ghost. Amidamaru looked towards his master. Since they had met, Yoh had grown stronger, faster, and smarter. Yoh showed great skill as a shaman, and had a kind heart. Yoh's only real motivation was his fiancée Anna. With her nagging, torturous training, and her occasional word of encouragement, Yoh had come very far in his shaman abilities.  
  
Yoh sighed as he slowly got to his feet. His feet then became unsteady and Yoh gasped as he fell back onto the bench. Amidamaru looked in worry as his master fell. Yoh had become accustomed to running and usually didn't get tired or woozy from running a great distance.  
  
"Oww.... That was weird..." Yoh said. His face flushed with the embarrassment of falling down.  
  
"Well...I'm hungry. I'd better start running home."  
  
Yoh got back to his feet and this time managed to start running towards the mansion where he lived. Amidamaru glided silently after his master. Though it had been 600 or so years since he had felt fatigue, Amidamaru couldn't help but feel concerned for Yoh. As he continued to run, Yoh's face became very pale and sweat dripped down his face heavier than usual. Though Yoh always acted happy and optimistic, Amidamaru could tell that Yoh was stressed. His constant training, the stress of the tournament, and most of all, the agony of not being able to truly please his fiancée was too much for the 15-year-old to handle. She was mean to him, she hit him, and she pressured him with constant threats to win the shaman tournament...but he loved her. Amidamaru could tell by the way Yoh said, 'Yes Anna.' And how he obeyed her every command without question or complaint, it was just obvious that he loved her. Amidamaru looked back at his master. Yoh slowed his pace to a jog...then a walk...then he stopped altogether, panting like a tired dog. Yoh swore at himself as his sweat dripped onto the dark sidewalk.  
  
"Yoh-sama..." Amidamaru said in concern.  
  
Yoh ignored Amidamaru's comment and started sprinting towards home.  
  
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Tanuki-san: here is my shaman king fan fiction. Review onegai! Please, though, don't flame me. I'll write more when I find out more about the shaman fights. Thanks. Bye-Bye!!!!!! *Tanuki is dragged out by her tail shrieking about the price of rice in China and why Yard Gnomes like cornflakes* 


	2. Home

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: Shaman king isn't mine to snuggle...wahhh...  
  
Author's note: Next chapter...nee hee hee.... I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. I really don't have anything else to say so here's the next chapter.  
  
Chapter 2: home ~***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sidewalk seemed to stretch on for eternity but Yoh kept running. As it zipped by, the chilled wind stung his heavy limbs. It was becoming hard to breathe and he couldn't run straight but he couldn't stop. Anna had told him to finish the 25 miles within the time period. He couldn't let her down now. Even though he knew he was helplessly late, Yoh continued running. Though the night around him grew colder with every step he took, heat flushed through his body and face, causing him to sweat even more.  
  
"Yoh-sama! Anna-sama will understand! You don't look well," Amidamaru's voice sounded from behind Yoh. Yoh chose to ignore him and speed up his pace. Everything became a blur around him. The salt of his sweat and the chill wind burned his eyes. He couldn't see. Why was he so tired? He was never this tired while running, even when Anna first made him start. He shivered violently, causing his legs to run in a zigzag pattern, like a drunkard.  
  
Why?  
  
He needed to get strong and become shaman king...to make Anna happy. All he wanted was for her to smile at him and say, "I'm proud of you, Yoh Asakura. Aishiteru..." He felt so tired. Pain shot up and down his body.  
  
Yoh's foot caught on a piece of sidewalk. As he hit the pavement, Yoh's face scraped against the rough concrete, leaving tiny streaks of blood where the skin had rubbed off. For a split second, Yoh didn't move. He didn't even breathe. Then he opened his eyes and saw Amidamaru looking at him with concern.  
  
"Yoh-sama?" Amidamaru asked urgently.  
  
"I'm fine..." Yoh's voice sounded hoarse from multiple hours of heavy breathing. Without additional explanations, Yoh forced himself unsteadily to his feet, wiped the dripping blood away from his face, and began to run again. Almost home, he thought, but why...I feel weaker every second I run. Dizziness made his vision swim in and out of focus. In frustration, Yoh swore loudly and ran harder than ever.  
  
Finally, with a great deal of agony, Yoh reached the front door of his mansion. Through the pain, Yoh couldn't help but feel joy. No matter what reaction Anna would give him, she would be there, right inside the door, waiting for him. Yoh raised a shivering hand towards the door. Before he could open it though, a blonde-haired midget opened the door.  
  
"Yoh!!! Hiya!! Have fun running? Dinner's on!" The midget shouted excitedly.  
  
"Manta..." Yoh groaned. Usually, Yoh was able to cope with the midget's loud, annoying behavior, but just now he was too tired to listen to Manta's rattling.  
  
"Hey. What's the matter, Yoh? You look more tired than usual," Manta mentioned in concern.  
  
"It's nothing," Yoh brushed off his fatigue casually, "Where's Anna-chan?"  
  
"Last time I saw her she was in the living room," Manta explained.  
  
"Arigato..." Yoh replied. He stepped into the house and was greeted by a wave of hot air produced by the heater, causing him to shiver more than he was already. Resisting the urge to wrap his arms around himself to stop the shaking of his body, Yoh pretended that this shivering happened every time he ran and walked casually towards the living room.  
  
Manta and Amidamaru watched him leave. "What's really wrong with Yoh? He's got cuts on his cheek and he's really pale. Is he getting sick?"  
  
"I don't know. He just acted tired today during his run," Amidamaru answered.  
  
~***~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yoh entered the living room and scanned its population for Anna. A blue-haired boy about Yoh's age named Horo-Horo sat on a beanbag flipping channels on the TV. On the couch lay a pink-haired girl named Tamao watching Horo-Horo flip channels. Ren, a yellow-eyed boy, polished a long, dangerous spear in the corner of the room. Anna wasn't there. Yoh checked again, but she didn't appear.  
  
"Where's Anna?" Yoh asked.  
  
Tamao looked up at Yoh and her face lit up. "Yoh-kun!!!" she greeted. Her glee however, turned to uneasiness as she looked Yoh over, "Yoh...kun...You look so pale. And your cheek is bleeding!" Tamao reached out her hand to brush the blood away from Yoh's cheek. As her slender fingers made contact with his cheek, she drew back quickly. "You...You're burning up, Yoh-kun! Are you sick?"  
  
Yoh blushed with the embarrassment of so much attention. He quickly made an excuse; "I just finished running! Of course I'm hot!" Yoh attempted a laugh to sound more cheerful. Tamao, entranced by the fact that Yoh was talking to her was convinced and answered the question about Anna.  
  
"She went to the store. She'll be back. You're all sweaty, Yoh-kun. The bath is open so why don't you go take a bath?" Tamao said, smiling up at Yoh.  
  
Ren looked up at Yoh from where he was sitting and muttered, "Hi..." before getting back to his work. Horo-Horo was too enthralled in his channel surfing to notice anything else around him. As Yoh turned to leave, he struggled to hide his disappointment from Tamao. She was always so happy, yet so shy. He didn't want to dampen her spirit. Sliding open the door to the bath, Yoh was welcomed by a fresh wave of steam. Yoh undressed from his running outfit and slid into the water. Bliss soothed his sore limbs and lessened his shivering but it couldn't heal his heart. Anna hadn't been there. He had taken too long for her, so she left. He knew it was temporary but just the thought of her being displeased with him caused his stomach to churn. Yoh stared blankly at the wall painted with bamboo and flowers. He was too exhausted to think about anything right now but thoughts kept brushing through his mind. He wanted to shut it all out. He wanted to sleep. But Anna. Why...Why am I never strong enough to please her? All I want is her to love me...but I can't be strong...I've trained so hard...I feel so hopeless....Anna-chan...  
  
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Tanuki-sama: Domo. Review onegai. Next chapter will be up soon if everyone likes this. I had a riceball for dinner today. It was yummy. ^_^ Bye Bye!!!! 


	3. News of the Next Round

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own shaman king...I feel depressed...  
  
Author's note: Thanks everyone for their kind reviews so far! I am very anxious to update. I hope you are enjoying this fic!!!! On with the next chapter!  
  
Chapter 3: News of the next round  
  
Anna shifted the bag of groceries higher up on her shoulder so that she could push open the gate leading to the mansion. Her mysterious, slanted eyes scanned the yard for any signs that her fiancé was back. Chilly breezes played through her golden hair and blood red bandana. With quick strides, Anna made her way to the front door and pushed it open with her free hand. Confusion swirled through Anna's mind as she looked into the house. Usually when she came home, Manta would be at the door, greeting her with his silly comments and obnoxious attitude. Also, Yoh would run up joyously to see her, like a puppy whose master had come back from a long vacation. This time, Yoh wasn't there and a dead silence hung in the doorway.  
  
"Midget!" Anna yelled, asking for Manta. Manta looked over from where he was standing in the kitchen with Amidamaru.  
  
"Anna-chan! Welcome home!" Manta greeted. His greeting was strangely unenthusiastic. Amidamaru lowered his translucent head in a respectful bow. His face was painted with concern.  
  
Anna walked over to the counter and picked up a salmon rice ball Manta had made for dinner. Taking a dainty bite, Anna turned towards the samurai and the short boy.  
  
"So Samurai-san, why was Yoh-kun so late?" Anna asked.  
  
Amidamaru looked down uneasily. His mind raced through thoughts of Yoh's current condition. "Yoh-sama seems unwell," Amidamaru mumbled.  
  
Anna stared at Amidamaru for a minute, as if trying to see if he was lying or not. "Yoh-kun's probably fine. He probably just slacked off like usual. Sometimes he's so difficult!" Flipping back her hair, Anna sauntered away from the kitchen.  
  
Was Yoh really okay? He did seem a little less active in the morning. Anna hoped he was. She wanted Yoh to win the Shaman Tournament so much. Yoh would face another round tomorrow. If he was really feeling sick, he wouldn't be fit to fight. The chances of failure were much higher. No... She refused to believe it. Yoh was fine!  
  
"Anna-chan?" A hoarse voice sounded behind her.  
  
Anna turned around in response to the voice. Yoh stood in a pair of baggy sleep pants with a towel on top of his wet hair. iOh my gosh...He's so pale. Is he really sick? /i Anna thought to herself. She forced the thought out of her head and turned to Yoh.  
  
"YOH!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!!! DIDN'T I MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I WANTED YOU HERE WITHIN MY TIMELIMIT?" Anna yelled at Yoh. Brushing a hand across his sweaty forehead, Yoh apologized.  
  
"Gomen Gomen!!! I just felt very tired today, I'll do better tomorrow," Yoh smiled and acted as optimistic as possible.  
  
Anna countered brutally, "TOMORROW IS THE NEXT SHAMAN FIGHT!!! YOU WON'T BE IN FIGHTING SHAPE IF YOU KEEP SLACKING OFF! NOW GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE AND RUN ANOTHER 10 MILES!!!  
  
"The next shaman fight is tomorrow?" Yoh asked, his face falling.  
  
"YES IT'S TOMORROW, GENIUS!!! NOW RUN ANOTHER 10 MILES!!! GO BEFORE I FEEL INCLINED TO GIVE YOU MORE MILES!!!" Anna yelled, her temper rising.  
  
"But...I'm tired..." Yoh said, feeling defeated.  
  
Anna couldn't take it anymore. Just the thought of Yoh losing in a round made Anna so discouraged. He looked so pale and weak. How could he win? Anna acted without thinking. She raised her hand, curled it into a fist, and struck Yoh across his face as hard as she could. Yoh fell to the ground and grabbed his cheek, struggling back a moan of pain. Anna regretted what she did immediately. To her greater dismay, Anna noticed that blood was oozing between Yoh's fingers. Had she really hurt Yoh that bad? That was the hardest she'd ever hit him in a while. As she watched Yoh, he slowly got to his feet and wiped his bloody hand on his sleep pants. The cuts on Yoh's face bled like crazy, the skin pulled back around them.  
  
"Gomen nasai. I'll go run," Yoh looked at Anna. He smiled at her, as if saying he was loyal no matter what she did.  
  
Anna stared at him. As Yoh walked passed her to the door, he stumbled, but caught himself. Guilt consumed Anna. How could she do that to Yoh? She forced the thought out of her head and walked to the kitchen to throw the remains of her riceball away. Amidamaru looked at Anna is dismay.  
  
"Maybe...Maybe you could...be a little less hard on Yoh-sama. He's trying his best for you..." The samurai said to Anna.  
  
"If I'm not hard on him, he'll become weak and he won't win," Anna said tonelessly.  
  
"But...Yoh..." Amidamaru faltered, then lost his temper, "IS THE SHAMAN TOURNAMENT WORTH THE LIFE OF YOUR FIANCEE? HE WORKS SO HARD JUST TO PLEASE YOU AND YOU RIDICULE HIM CONSTANTLY!!!!!"  
  
Anna answered, "The Shaman Tournament is a very important thing to me. I would give anything for Yoh to win."  
  
Amidamaru answered in utter anger, "YOH LOVES YOU AND YOU TREAT HIM LIKE YOUR SLAVE!!! I DON'T KNOW WHY HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!! YOU CAN'T EVEN LOVE HIM BACK!!!"  
  
Anna felt ripples of guilt pulse through her. "He loves me? Well...well...I do love him..."  
  
"DO YOU REALLY? IF NOT, YOU'RE IMPRISONING HIM IN THE HOPE THAT YOU'LL LOVE HIM!!! SOMETIMES I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Amidamaru turned and floated quickly through the front door.  
  
Anna struggled to hold back tears. The shaman tournament was coming to an end and her stress level was high. Was that really a liable excuse? "I know Yoh loves me... I love him back... I really do..."  
  
Anna turned to the living room. How could she be such a thoughtless bully? Yoh never retaliated or yelled at her. Why, then, did she hurt him so bad? Anna refused to let herself think like that. Forcing herself to think everything was fine, Anna turned her attention to the TV.  
  
Tanuki-sama= Next chapter will be up soon! I hope everyone likes this. Review, onegai!!! ~ja ne 


	4. Next Day

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: Shaman King ain't mine. Toooo bad.  
  
Author's note: I hope people don't hate Anna by now. She's one of my favorite characters. Oh...here's the next chapters.  
  
Chapter 4- The Next Day  
  
Yoh woke up as a stray ray of sun pushed through the blinds. Weariness overcame him and Yoh wished beyond anything that he could sleep in the whole day. Sweat covered his forehead as heat consumed him and his cheek throbbed. As he savored the last of the warmness and dark of his room, Yoh remembered the events that had happened the night before... After he had finished his 10 miles, he ate a riceball and then went to bed. He had felt too tired to notice anything around him. Amidamaru hadn't been there. Yoh at least could remember that. Yoh tried to roll over but his limbs wouldn't work. Swearing silently to himself, Yoh wrapped the blankets tighter around himself in an effort to keep comfortable in his current position.  
  
Just when Yoh was about to go back to sleep, Anna burst in his room, yelling.  
  
"Yoh! Get up! Your fight is in 3 hours and you need to warm-up! GET OUT OF BED NOWW!!!!  
  
Reluctantly, Yoh kicked his blankets off his body. A wave of cold, morning air hit him, causing him to shiver. Yoh attempted to push himself up but his arms felt like sacks of wet sand.  
  
"UP!!!"  
  
"Yes Anna-chan..." Yoh cut himself off, surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice.  
  
Anna looked away from him, her face getting red with frustration.  
  
Using all of his strength, Yoh pushed himself to his feet, swayed for a second, then began to walk to the pile with his fighting clothes in it. As he picked them up to put them on, he looked towards Anna. She stood there, her attention back focused on his every move. In embarrassment, a blushy color appeared on Yoh's pale face. To hint at Anna that he needed privacy, Yoh cleared his throat. To his surprise, a sharp pain cut across his vocal cords, causing him to cough more. Instinctively, Yoh raised a clenched fist to his mouth. The pain grew until he couldn't breathe and his coughs became more violent, then stopped. Yoh opened his eyes and noticed his hand was covered in something sticky and red. Blood.  
  
"You finished yet?" Anna said in a monotonous tone.  
  
"Hai..." Yoh answered, rubbing the blood off on his sleep pants. He decided to refrain from telling Anna about the blood. She was probably stressed from last night. He had failed her. She was probably wondering if he would be able to win this next shaman fight. To be totally honest with himself, he wasn't so sure he could do it either. At any measure, there was no need to worry Anna over this.  
  
"Excuse me, Yoh-kun. I'll leave you to change. After you're done, come downstairs to warm-up," Anna said, turning towards the hallway.  
  
Slipping off his sleep pants and pulling on his jet-black fighting suit, Yoh sighed heavily.  
  
"Yo..."  
  
Yoh turned quickly around in response to the voice. Horo-horo stood watching him.  
  
"Whoops...I didn't know you were changing. I just came in to ask what you were giving Anna for White Day?" Horo-horo said, scratching the back of his neck.  
  
"White day? Where'd this question come up?" Yoh asked, pulling on his black shirt.  
  
"I'm getting this really hot girl at school a box of chocolates. I was just wondering if your present matches the greatness of mine. Does it?"  
  
Yoh secured his headphones, then picked up a stray piece of paper off the ground. "I haven't go her one yet. Could you run to the store and get a present as a favor for me? I have a shaman fight to go to today..." He trailed off, thinking about what present he should give Anna, "How far away is White Day?"  
  
"Three days!!!" said Horo-horo optimistically.  
  
"NANIII!??!" Yoh yelled. That was a mistake. He raised his hand quickly to cough into it. Warm blood flowed over his tongue.  
  
Horo-horo looked surprised. "You okay?"  
  
Quickly slipping his fist behind his back, Yoh smiled and pretended everything was fine, "It's nothing...I just yelled too loud....so..." Yoh thought quickly to find a diversion from the current topic and his bloody hand. Suddenly, something hit him. He wrote quickly on the piece of paper with a random pen lying on the ground (Yoh has a messy room!^_^).  
  
Using his clean hand, Yoh handed the paper to Horo-horo. "Can you get this by three days? It's for Anna."  
  
"CHAAAA!!!!" Horo-horo yelled, "K'S0!! My present isn't nearly as good as this. But okay, I'll get it for you." Horo-horo took the paper.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Horo-horo turned to leave saying, "Good luck in the shaman fight. Just don't fight so hard. You look kinda pale. Anyways, I gotta get going. Ja ne!!!!"  
  
Yoh waited until he was gone, then turned and cleaned his bloody hand on his blanket.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Amidamaru!!! Enough hiding, baka samurai!!! Yoh has to fight in just a little while!" Anna called. She regretted the fight she had with him yesterday. He hadn't appeared all night. Worried that Yoh might have to forfeit the tournament, Anna called louder.  
  
"Keep it down..." Ren droned. He seemed anxious.  
  
"Gomen nasai," Anna replied. The calling for Amidamaru stopped. A loud shriek was heard as Tamao entered the kitchen.  
  
"NYAWWW!!! WHERE'S YOH-KUN!!!!!" Tamao shrieked in worry.  
  
"He hasn't come down yet..." Anna answered.  
  
"Oh dear. Did he look all right? He seemed kind of sick yesterday," Tamao worried aloud, "Maybe he should stay home from the shaman fight today."  
  
Anna didn't know what to say. Yoh had seemed less active yesterday and he had had that coughing fit in the morning. This fight might be really hard for him and might make him even sicker. However, this shaman tournament was extremely important. If he couldn't win this, his reputation at the shaman tournament would go way down. He might not even get to fight anymore. Still, she loved him. Truly, she could have said it in front of God, she loved Yoh. She wanted him to be great. Many times, she didn't know how to deal with Yoh and her frustration at the same time. She had never loved someone as much as Yoh. Likewise, she had never wanted something to happen as much as Yoh winning the shaman tournament.  
  
"I don't know," Anna murmured.  
  
"YEEEKKKK!!!!" Tamao yelled, "Yoh-kun...You look so pale! You ARE sick!"  
  
Yoh walked sluggishly into the kitchen, sweating and shaking violently. Grabbing an apple off the kitchen counter, he reassured Tamao by saying, "I'm fine! Don't worry."  
  
Anna walked out of the room quickly. The pent-up guilt came out again. She wanted to cry. She wanted to lean on Yoh's shoulder and tell him how completely sorry she was. Her pride and the desire of Yoh winning were the only things in her way.  
  
As Yoh ate his apple, he thought about his opponent in the next match. His opponent was called Keoshi. This guy supposedly owned multiple spirits. Each spirit wasn't all that powerful. But his power of ambush earned him a high ranking in the tournament. Considering, his present state, Yoh doubted he'd be able to dodge these ambushes. Quickly thinking up a strategy, Yoh decided to focus on attacking rather than defending.  
  
Come to think of it, Where's Amidamaru? He has never been this late on the morning of a fight. Yoh thought. Throwing away his apple core, Yoh called out to Anna.  
  
"Anna! Where do I warm up?"  
  
Anna turned around abruptly, surprised that Yoh was calling to her. Focusing her mysterious eyes on her fiancée. "You don't have to warm-up. I'm sure you'll be okay in the fight." She was sure that a warm-up would do him in. The shaman fight would be hard enough.  
  
"Okay, Anna-chan. Then, let's go." Yoh said happily, walking to the door.  
  
"Hai..." Anna agreed. She followed Yoh.  
  
"Hey..." Yoh asked, looking over his shoulder and stumbling in the process, "Where's Amidamaru?"  
  
Anna's eyes got wide as she remembered the fight that had happened the night before. She looked away in shame.  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
Tanuki-san: Sorry this chapter took so much time to update. I was interrupted (kind of...not really...I just got lazy) Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review kindly! Arigato!!!! ~ja ne!!! 


	5. Journey to the battle grounds

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: Shaman king ain't mine...boo hoo...  
  
Author's note: Don't worry. Anna and Yoh will soon come....(I love fluffiness) That had nothing to do with any of this, did it? Oh well. Next chappie!!! Have you noticed that this fic doesn't have basically nothing to do with white day? Yeah. Oh well....  
  
Chapter 5: Journey to the tournament  
  
Amidamaru floated through the front door, just as Yoh was about to walk through it. Yoh, surprised, stumbled back and fell over.  
  
"Yoh-sama!!! Gomen nasai!!!!" Amidamaru apologized profusely to his master.  
  
Yoh slowly struggled to his feet, wincing. "S'okay. Where have you been? I was about to leave for the match without you."  
  
"I needed some time to think. Now I'm ready to figh—"Amidamaru broke off as Yoh collapsed on the floor. "YOH-SAMA!!!!!"  
  
Anna gasped and rushed over to her fallen fiancée. Shrieking, Tamao ran to Yoh also. Manta screamed like a pansy and Ren gasped.  
  
"Yoh-kun! Yoh!!! Are you okay?" Anna called, clutching Yoh's head to her breast. Pent-up tears began to flow from Anna's eyes, landing on Yoh's face. Opening his eyes, Yoh regained conciousness.  
  
"Anna...." Yoh realized his present possession. "AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Yoh sat up fast, swearing. "Gomen!!!"  
  
"Yoh-kun...you look awful," Tamao said worryingly. She reached her hand to touch his forehead, but Yoh caught her hand in mid-motion.  
  
"I'm fine. Trust me," Yoh managed a smile. He pushed himself to his feet. Anna looked up at him. He seemed so strong, the light reflecting off his muscles. Yet, he was so weak. Pale and shaking, Yoh started to the door. "What's the matter with everyone?" Yoh asked, "Let's go!" Tamao, Anna, and Manta got up without question. Each one, especially Anna, secretly worried over Yoh's safety and health. Ren worried too, but he stayed put.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~(Everyone is walking to the shaman fight now)~*~*~*~  
  
So high. The hill seemed to go on forever. Bringing his hand to his face, Yoh wiped the sweat off his burning forehead. Everything became fuzzy and his throat seared with held-back coughs. His feet tripped, but he caught himself. Determined to stay strong, Yoh walked faster up the hill. The sidewalk finally leveled out, creating a straight path of stores, empty lots, and alleyways. Yoh didn't even stop to rest. Anna would be worried. She had cried over him that morning. He had failed her, again. He had not even been strong enough to stand up without passing out. No way. He wouldn't let that happen again.  
  
"Yoh-sama. I'm very worried. You've looked bad since yesterday," Amidamaru floated next to Yoh.  
  
"I'm fi-"Yoh started, but Amidamaru interrupted him.  
  
"But your not fine! This is all Anna's fault! She did this to you through pressure," Amidamaru said harshly. Yoh pivoted his feet to face Amidamaru.  
"I love Anna. You know that. She was just acting out of frustration when she hit me. She only wants me to do well in the tournament," Yoh reassured Amidamaru.  
  
Anna quickened her steps to reach Yoh and Amidamaru.  
  
"Yoh-kun!" Anna called, "I need to talk to-EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!" Anna fell to the ground as two cats leaped on her. Not normal cats. These were a misty black with blue fire licking their tails and ears. Claws jutted from their huge paws. Yoh rushed to Anna's side.  
  
"ANNA-CHAN!!!!!!!!" Yoh yelled, then looked at the cats, "Who...?"  
  
The cats grinned, showing black mouths and jagged teeth. The padded backwards into the shadows. Their flames combined and merged. Ooshing together like tar, the cats became one cat, huge and menacing. Yoh watched in horror as he held Anna close to his chest.  
  
"Who are you?" Yoh yelled in anger. He struggled to not cough as he raised his voice.  
  
"NamuNami. Your opponent's sister. I have duties to kill you before your match." A milky voice called from the background. A little girl emerged from the shadows. Her pink dress rippled in the wind and her eyes seemed moist from crying. Yet, through the tears, her eyes shone black, like utter nothingness.  
  
"FIGHT ME!!!!" The girl screamed. Her mouth opened wide, showing teeth as jagged as the cat's. Shaping her tiny hand into a fist and extending her index finger, NamuNami pointed at Yoh and screamed even louder.  
  
Taking one finger, Yoh turned Anna's head to face him. Anna stared at her fiancée, his mouth open in the effort to keep breathing and his cheeks pale.  
  
"I love you, Anna-chan," Yoh murmured. Then he stood up and lowered Anna onto the sidewalk.  
  
"No one hurts my Anna," Yoh threatened, facing the cat. It hissed at him and blue lava dripped from its mouth, melting the sidewalk. It reared and charged at Yoh. Quickly, Yoh forced a shocked Amidamaru into Harusame. Immediately, Yoh staggered. The raw effort of using mana exhausted him ten times more than he was running yesterday. Forcing himself to stay strong, Yoh raised Harusame to make the first strike against the cat. The sword slid right through the cat, without making a mark. Like the force of a tsunami on a tiny sakura blossom, the cat leaped on Yoh, knocking him down easily. Yoh slid across the pavement as the cat hit him. Trails of blood followed him. The cat sank it's claws into Yoh's unprotected back, caught hold, and tore. Yoh moaned as multiple layers of flesh was scraped from his body. Blood poured in waterfalls from his wounds. The cat retreated back to the girl. Leaning to the side, Yoh vomited blood onto the pavement. Flecks of red danced before his eyes. Through the pain, Yoh noticed Anna. She sat against the wall, in utter shock. Tamao's screaming echoed in Yoh's ears along with Manta's girlish sobs. Amidamaru's panicked voice sounded from Harusame.  
  
"YOH-SAMA!!!!"  
  
Yoh finished coughing up blood and turned his blood stained face towards NamuNami. "What is............that thing....?" Yoh managed to say.  
  
A smile appeared on NamuNami's face. "You can't hit him," she said, "He's the raw form of my mana. He cannot lose."  
  
Sorry for the insanely bloody chapter. I'll update soon I hope! Oh...and I had a shaman king dream last night. IT WAS SO COOL!! DREAMS ROCK!!! Off topic...gomen. Please review but no flames. Ja ne!!!! 


	6. Pain

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own shaman king...typing this is getting dull...  
  
Author's note: Hi! Last chapter I said I had a shaman king dream. Someone asked what it was about so here goes.... I don't remember anything but Manta was being weird, Anna was there (on an old fighter plane...I don't know why...) And Yoh was in a bathtub a lot (FAN SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!) I love dreams... Next chapter.  
  
Chapter 6: Pain  
  
"Raw mana?" Yoh stammered. Usually, a shaman in the shaman fight would integrate his or her spirit with an object of some kind. Raw mana...mana shaped into a for by itself...with no ghost or object to help with. The power of this raw mana must be unbelievable...but exhausting for the shaman. Yoh painfully rose to his feet, blood still dripping from his mouth. How could he fight something that wasn't alive? Impossible.  
  
"You've been doing too good in the tournament. My brother would surely lose to you. Therefore, extermination is necessary," NamuNami said, pointing again at Yoh. The cat sprung with unstoppable force. A drop of sweat appeared on NamuNami's forehead and dropped onto the sidewalk.  
  
As if in slow motion, Yoh saw the cat advancing. Also, he noticed the drop of sweat splash on the concrete. Harnessing raw mana into a physical shape must be strenuous; requiring profound concentration. If only...he could break it...  
  
With a horrendous growl, the cat knocked Yoh over again. Yoh gasped, unable to yell because the pain was too intense. Attacking mercilessly, the cat left jagged slashes over Yoh's chest and face. Pain and heat enveloped Yoh's weak body. Through a hazy mist of blood, Yoh caught a glimpse of Anna, her eyes wide open and crying in utter distress. With the last bit of his strength, Yoh reached for Harusame.  
  
"Please Amidamaru...*koff*...help me win this," Yoh wheezed through the pain. Finally, the cold metal of Harusame touched Yoh's hand. The loss of blood and his already weak condition made the agony even more excruciating. The blue flames licked Yoh's raw face and chest. Tears squeezed through his shut eyes. Making a fist around Harusame's hilt, Yoh made a vow...  
  
Nothing would keep him from winning this...for Anna.  
  
Teeth and claws alike struck Yoh's body again and again, without hints of giving up. He would be long dead before NamuNami got tired enough to not be able to harness her mana. His other arm covered his face in an effort to stop the blows but the cat began to shred his arm too. Sweat and blood dripped down his forehead. He could do nothing. Just sit and be beaten by this demon neko. Helpless. But he couldn't give up! He had to beat this for his Anna.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Anna wanted to help Yoh. She wanted to rip that demon off him and cradle his broken body in her arms. She wanted to save him. He had saved her first. Tears kept flowing. She was oblivious to Tamao's screaming and Manta's crying and the pain of the cut on her shoulder where she fell. All she could do was watch. Her limbs were numb. It was her fault. Yoh's reflexes could easily dodge the cat's maneuvers but now...She could do nothing for him but she wanted to so much. She wanted to scream. She wanted to make any sound at all to reassure Yoh that she was there. She shaped her lips into meaningless movements but no sound came out. Why? Why couldn't she help who she loved? She had already hurt him. She had already ruined this fight. If he died it would be her fault and she could do nothing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He gripped the sword harder, aiming towards NamuNami. Her eyes were glazed over in utter concentration. He could do this. Though blood poured from his wounds, though heat seared his forehead, though consciousness was slipping in action, he could win. His muscles tightened as he drew the sword slowly back, causing blood to flow more violently.  
  
Yoh threw the sword with all the strength that was keeping him conscious. He threw for his everlasting love for Anna. He threw for his hope of winning for his Anna. He threw for Anna's approvement. He threw for the one person he would die for. Anna. Black almost immediately swam into his vision. The last thing he saw was Anna's face. Her face was painted with amazement. Her lips formed into a weak smile. Yoh felt the weight of the cat leave his body. With a last gasp, Yoh emptied more blood from his mouth. He felt so weak and hot. He struggled with strength that didn't exist to keep conscious but he was too tired.  
  
Anna...  
  
Blackness shrouded the rest of his vision and Yoh lost consciousness.  
  
Tanuki: (sorry this chapter was short) NYAW!!! Thanks for your kind reviews. Keep at it!!! (no flames though) Next chapter...FLUFF!!!!!!!!! YOH AND ANNA FLUFF!!!! I'll update soon (hopefully)  
Ja ne!!! 


	7. Soft Hands

White Day  
  
Disclaimer: Shaman king isn't mine. The end  
  
Author's note: This chapter is made as fluffy as possible. Please enjoy!!!  
  
Chapter 7 Soft hands  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
A small trickle of blood appeared on NamuNami's arm. Her concentration broke. The pink aura surrounding her disappeared abruptly. The cat disappeared with the aura. Yoh had won, but not without a price to pay. He lay on the ground, bloody and unconscious. Anna ran to him as NamuNami laughed.  
  
"He's too weak to take on my brother. I may not have killed him and he may still have a place in the tournament, but my brother goes on to the next round," NamuNami laughed. Then she ran down the alley and disappeared. Anna didn't care. Her hopes of Yoh winning Keoshi apparated along with NamuNami. Yoh might still be able to compete in the tournament but that didn't matter. Yoh...her love...was lying there on the sidewalk, covered in his own blood, breathing heavily from fatigue. She didn't know if he was going to be alright...he might even die...he looked so pale and his face against her clothes was burning and left blood stains. It was all her fault. *END FLASHBACK*  
  
Sleep. It felt so good to just surrender; to temporarily shut off the pain. But Anna. Was she okay? He wanted to see her...but he was just too tired to open his eyes. He wanted to see Anna, to hold her, to tell her that he loved her. A gentle rubbing started on his forehead. The coolness of water brought consciousness on a little bit at a time. Bliss. First came just swimming colors, then shapes and shadows swam into view. With consciousness came the first wave of pain.  
  
Yoh moaned as he opened his eyes a crack. Anna's face came into focus. Her face was framed with worry and her hand gently sponged Yoh's forehead. As she turned to soak the sponge in more cool water, Anna caught sight of Yoh's consciousness.  
  
"Yoh-kun," Anna smiled one of her rare smiles. Just that eased Yoh's pain. She looked fine. "Are you feeling okay?"  
  
Yoh tried to move his mouth but agony flooded through his jaws. Only a weak moan came out.  
  
Anna looked upon Yoh in concern. He looked so pale from fatigue and loss of blood. Heat seared on his forehead from sickness. He was so weak, unlike the normal Yoh who was so confident and strong. She wanted to hold him. She wanted to heal him. She needed to remove her guilt, yet she didn't know how.  
  
"Anna........." Yoh murmured before letting out a feeble cough. He felt so hot. The true nature of consciousness hit him. Pain was everywhere and heat surrounded him. But he could see his Anna and he could talk to her. "Where..."  
  
"You're in your room. I'm glad you're awake," Anna sighed, smiling down at her fiancée. She looked so happy, but something was wrong. Yoh reached back inside his mind to think exactly what.  
  
"Anna!!! The tournament!!! Gomen nasai. Gomen," Yoh felt so defeated, "I failed you again, Anna-chan." Yoh sat up in his bed. Anger coursed through him. No matter how hard he tried, Yoh couldn't please her. He wanted her to love him. He wanted her to be truly happy.  
  
Anna gently reached her arm under Yoh's and lifted Yoh up. Yoh immediately fell but Anna held him up.  
  
"I'm not mad. You beat NamuNami. You're still in the tournament," Anna murmured, trying to control her frustration.  
  
"Good," Yoh said hoarsely. His sigh of relief swept away her anger. Yoh seemed so relieved. She couldn't bring herself to stay disappointed in him. He had saved her. In his state, he had fought off the power of raw mana in order to save her and the others. Yoh looked up at her, "Where's Amidamaru?"  
  
"He's been quiet but he's okay. He's in the kitchen," Anna answered. She began walking Yoh out of the room. Yoh leaned against Anna. Her soft skin soothed his searing forehead. He wanted to lean on her forever. He was unaware of where he was going but he trusted Anna. Wood touched Yoh's feet and he felt himself being lowered down. Steam brushed his face. Where was he? As he looked up the sight of Anna caught his eyes. A red bikini hugged her figure as she stood in front of the bath. The soft light shining on her softly tanned skin emphasized her curves. Yoh's mouth hung open.  
  
"Anna-chan! What are you doing? Is this okay?" Yoh asked frantically.  
  
"It's okay," Anna said, lifting Yoh up and helping him into the bath. Hot, steamy water washed over Yoh's sore body. It felt so good.  
  
"This will help your wounds and your fever," Anna reassured Yoh. She gently picked up a wash cloth from a wooden bucket floating in the bath. Wringing it out, Anna began to massage Yoh's back. Total ecstasy washed over Yoh. Anna's strong but mild hands felt so good. Everything became a haze. This was so heavenly. The heat seeped away from his body and his soreness melted away into the heavenly mood. Anna set the rag down in the bucket and began massaging Yoh's back with her own hands. So soft. The gentle circling of her hands, the peaceful rubbing of her palms, the quiet pressing of her fingers, they were too much. Yoh felt blush flood to his cheeks and a less severe heat creep up his face. Suddenly, Anna's hands faltered. You felt a thud on his back as Anna laid her head on him.  
  
"Anna-chan? Are you okay?" Yoh asked, worried. A restrained sob answered him. In concern, Yoh turned around. Anna was crying. Tears coursed down her cheeks. Droplets clung to her long eyelashes and brushed off when she blinked. Yoh didn't know what to do. Anna looked so sad. Some sorrow was eating ravenously away at her soul. Yoh opened his mouth up to speak but Anna lay on of her slender fingers gently on his lips.  
  
"Yoh-kun....*sob sob* I'm...I'm..." Anna burst into anguished cries. Anna cursed herself. Tears kept coming but she wanted so much to heal the mistake she made. Instead of crying, she wanted to be close to her love. Yoh looked so worried and helpless. Why...Why couldn't she just say she was sorry? She wanted so much to get rid of this guilt. Her lips parted and the light shined on them.  
  
"I'm sorry....."Anna managed to gasp, "I've worked you so hard. Because of that, you became stressed. You got sick. How can I forgive myself? I couldn't even forgive you for the tiny things that didn't even need an apology. It's the tournament..."  
  
Yoh broke Anna off, "It's my fault. I was the one who failed you. I messed up on the tournament..." Anna fixed Yoh with her stare. Instead of icy and accusing, it was desolate and full of longing, yet it was still the stare of his fiancée.  
  
"I have no excuse. I cared more about that stupid tournament than our commitment." Anna felt all her guilt push inside of her, wanting to get out. It was pure agony. Anna knew she would hurt Yoh but she just needed to end it all. She needed to sleep forever. She wanted to shut out everything. She whispered something Yoh couldn't hear. Total guilt flooded through her veins. She couldn't see. Then warmth.  
  
"I love you Anna. Nothing in the world could stop me from loving you," Yoh murmured. No matter how weak he felt, he wanted to be with her, to comfort her. Nothing would stop him. Anna's eyelashes brushed against his cheek as Anna opened her eyes.  
  
"Yoh...I've wanted for so long to be like this together. To just shut out the ideas of the tournament or of training or of anything else. I've wanted to...I want to be with you forever..." Anna murmured, her tears receding. She reached up her long, slender arms and wrapped them around Yoh's neck. She never wanted to let him go. She was forgiven. Guilt vanished inside of her. A weight was lifted off her. She no longer wanted to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to be with her love.  
  
Yoh felt the sting of tears well up in his eyes. He was so happy. To hold Anna, to have her close to him, to tell her he loved her, all those things felt so good. Anna slowly pushed Yoh away. Her eyes gazed into his face. For that moment, she knew she loved him. There was no doubt. Yoh's handsome face gazed back at her. Anna's face, wreathed in light, looked like an angel. Her sparkling eyes were no longer angry but happy, shining with forgotten tears. Her lips were full and pink, perfect. They formed into shapes as Anna whispered, "Ai shiteru, Yoh-kun. Ai shiteru."  
  
Utter joy flowed through them both. Yoh lowered his head towards Anna. Anna blushed, sending beautiful colors to her cheeks. She was ready. She had always dreamed of her first kiss. Now it was just seconds away. Yoh's lips interlocked with Anna's. The taste was savory, like a silver cloud on a sunny day. It was broken almost immediately. Anna stared wide- eyed at Yoh. Yoh looked aside in embarrassment.  
  
"Gomen. That was my first kiss. It was probably awful," Yoh said in shame.  
  
"Iie...It was wonderful," Anna said, smiling her purest smile. "Please...kiss me again..."  
  
Yoh kissed Anna again. Love tasted so sweet. It felt like heaven.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Horo-horo rushed into the bath with a wrapped box.  
  
"Yoh! I've got the sake! And Anna's hair ribben..." Horo-horo broke himself off at the sight of Anna and Yoh. They seemed so happy, still experiencing their first kiss. Horo-horo slowly backed out of the room, leaving Anna and Yoh alone.  
  
END  
  
Tanuki= The end. Thanks for reading! Was it fluffy enough? I hope!!!!!! This fiction is now completed. Thanks to everyone who read this fiction. I repeat things a lot. BYE BYE!!!!! 


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